PROGRESS REPORT 2023
We envision a world that embraces and celebrates the arts and artists as a vital part of our lives and communities.
ARTIST DOMINIQUE PECCE, CREATIVE EXCHANGE COHORT 2023
Andre Lima, artist in the Creative Exchange Cohort 2023
ABOUT US
Established in 1987. AFCC’S mission is to support and strengthen a vibrant and diverse arts and cultural sector for everyone in the region.
We are the designated arts agency for Barnstable County March 2023 - The Cape Cod Commissioners unanimously voted to approve a memorandum of understanding with the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod (AFCC) as the designated arts agency of Barnstable County. The AFCC’s responsibilities include its annual grant making; managing the Creative Exchange program; participating, supporting, and leading in community cultural planning as well as assessing the community’s cultural needs; advocating and promoting artsfriendly policies to ensure funding and government polices which support the arts and arts education on Cape Cod; and forging community partnerships that support the arts as an economic driver for Cape Cod.
What does the designation mean for Arts on Cape Cod: The AFCC is considered experts in our field of arts and culture. The AFCC joins more than 4,500 local arts agencies throughout the country that are focused on supporting and sustaining their community’s arts and culture sectors. This designation allows us to receive Federal funding from groups like the National Endowment for the Arts and state earmarks designated by our local legislators. We sit on different committees and advisory boards locally and nationally representing the arts sector in all of Barnstable County.
Sandwich Glass Museum | AFCC Patron Meetup
AFCC'S VALUE PROPOSITION The aspect of our organization which make us REALLY good at what we do! The AFCC is well positioned to weave together the threads that build a thriving arts ecosystem. Established in 1987, the AFCC has the credibility and position to speak on behalf of artists and arts organizations of the Cape. The AFCC understands arts and culture region-wide and is considered the voice of the sector. The AFCC is the only organization providing direct support to individual artists. This support was critical throughout the pandemic.
OUR VALUES Building Connection: We believe all people deserve to experience joy, compassion, and belonging through access to the arts. Learning + Leading: We rely on healthy and deep partnerships within and across sectors. We are dedicated to learning from the people and partners around us. We use that learning to inform how we advocate for artists and the sector. Agility: We respond quickly to what is happening in the world around us. We pride ourselves on being adaptable in service to meeting the needs of our sector and our communities. Integrity: We are committed to the highest quality programming. We are deliberate in how we deploy our resources. We are thoughtful, planful, and creative. Trust: We trust the voice of the artist, the creative process, and our funding reflects that.
When you support the AFCC you support all the arts on Cape Cod! Myra Kooy, Artist & Creative Exchange Cohort 2023
Grant Giving – AFCC Grants support arts and cultural activities of individuals, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. We prioritize funding that fuels innovation, creates access, and supports economic growth. In 2022 the AFCC awarded $259,000 in grants. In late 2021 the AFCC was selected as one of 66 local arts agencies nationwide to receive an American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The AFCC distributed $139K to 14 arts nonprofits throughout Cape Cod.
CREATIVE EXCHANGE Artists are key contributors to vibrant communities and thriving economies. The Creative Exchange is a professional development program for established and emerging artists of all mediums and backgrounds, cultural organizations, and creative workers led by artists and experts who understand the needs of the creative. The program was launched in 2016 as a one-day conference for local artists and has since grown into the creation of a popular podcast series, capacity-grant giving program, and a series of networking events and workshops. The Creative Exchange provides avenues for artists to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and respond to challenges within our local and global communities.
261 Artist & Creative Workers served by the Creative Exchange
$23K Artist Commissions paid through the Creative Exchange
12 Active Creative Exchange Steering Committee Members made up of artists of all mediums and backgrounds
AFCC ACCESS Music Student at Sturgis Charter
Addressing the inequities that exist in the arts by providing underserved students access to extracurricular arts activities they otherwise would not be able to enjoy. AFCC Access allows children to boost their confidence, tap into their creativity, and build strong social connections with their peers.
Cape Cod Museum of Art
AFCC ACCESS Students are more engaged in the world when they participate in the arts! Programming paid for through Access: Tap; drama workshops of all levels; Lion King vacation camp; summer art camps; creative movement; jazz; improv; Broadway kids; modern dance; culinary arts; school vacation art week camps; teen acting class; violin lessons; and comedy workshops.
Field trips taken included trips to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Fuller Craft Museum, Barnstable Performing Arts Center, Institute of Contemporary Art, Peabody Essex, Boston Symphony Hall, Cotuit Center for the Arts, and a trip to New York City to see Broadway! Approximately $40K supported grants creating access to arts and culture for free for local students and families. Programs like Musical Discoveries for toddlers, art mentorships for teens, multicultural art series for parents and children, regular workshops for at-risk youth, and many more. Community partners: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Cape Cod Children's Place, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Harwich Junior Theater, Cape Symphony, Cotuit Center for the Arts, PAAM, Cape Museum of Art, Cultural Center, Cape Cod CAN
51
Individual students funded totalling $10K+ to arts organizations
440
Students were supported with a bus stipend representing 9 local schools
$40K
In AFCC Access Grants supporting 343 students
ARTS & CULTURE PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE CAPE'S ECONOMY
The AFCC was one of 59 organizations, chambers of commerce, and municipalities that received over $1.58 million through the newly created Travel and Tourism Recovery (TTR) Grant Pilot Program. Funds from the TTR Grant Pilot Program are dedicated to marketing projects that support the My Local MA campaign, enhance tourism recovery, and have the potential to increase non-resident visitation. The program’s goal is to strengthen the Massachusetts economy through the development and enhancement of the state’s tourism industry. The AFCC applied the funding to enhance it’s ArtsCapeCod.org website, a website built and maintained by the AFCC to support and promote the rich cultural landscape of the region. ArtsCapeCod.org is a comprehensive online destination for residents and visitors seeking information about events, artists, local businesses, and attractions, ArtsCapeCod.org gives a complete picture of the Cape’s diverse and never-ending artistic and cultural offerings.
Campaign Impact 282,874 Social Media Engagements
2,863,082 Google Ad Impressions
Most impressions and clicks were from New York, NY with Boston and surrounding areas a close second.
2,000 + Posted Events each year 82,000 Users of ArtsCapeCod.org